Voting-machine.



No. 736,463. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1903.

C. E. TURNER & W. T. ANDERSON.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION I`-ILBD NOV. 12. 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jhorncays No. 736,463. PATNNTBD AUG. 1a, 1903. o. E. TURNER a W. T. ANDER'soN.- VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 18, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. TURNER AND IVILLIAM T. ANDERSON, OF MACON, GEORGIA.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,463, dated August 18, 1903.

Application filed November l2, 1902. Serial No. 131,065. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that we, CHARLES E. TURNER and WILLIAM T. ANDERSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Voting-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improve-.

ments in apparatus for recording votes in legislative and other bodies, and has for its principal object to provide an improved apparatus whereby the vote of a large body may be taken and recorded in a very short space of time, the construction being such as to permit the members to vote simultaneously or consecutively and the arrangement being such that the voting of one member cannot in any manner interfere with the voting of any other member.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character in 'which the result of the vote may be printed immediately after all the members have voted and in which the record on the printed sheet will appear with the names of the members in parallel columns representing either an aye' or a nay vote, together with a printed record of the number of each kind of votes cast, the apparatus bein provided with an automatic counting and recording device for this purpose.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the apparatus that the names of the members maybe readily changed or removed when necessary.

W'ith these and other objects in view the invention consists iu the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departingl from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a vote-recording apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the machine, illustrating the arrangement of the mechanism for locking the printing-types in printing position after the vote is cast and prior to the recording operation and also showing the mechanism for returning the printingtype Yto non-recording or normal position. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation of the machine on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the `nameholders, illustrating a linotype-bar in position therein. Y

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several iigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents the bed or table of the vote-recording apparatus, this beingV placed at any convenient point, as at the desk of the presiding ofcer orl clerk, and connected by current-conducting wires to the desk of each member. In the bed of the table, which may be of any desired length, are formed two rows of openings 11, all of the same size and shape and spaced at equal distances from each other, and each of said openings is adapted for the reception Vof a name-holder 12, in which may be placed Each holder is mounted on a pivot-pin 14 and is provided With a downwardly and rearwardly extending counterbalancing-weight 15, which normally tends to move the holder from its inclined non-recording position to a horizontal imprinting position with the printin g-surf ace of the type slightly above the level of the table. To each name holder is secured a depending catch-bar 16, adapted to be engaged and held in inoperative position by a springcatch 17, forming an armature for a small elcctromagnet 1S, and each member having two of such magnets under his control, so that the name-holder on either the positive or negative side of the table may be released and moved by its weight l5 into printing position. In order to place the names closely together, the electromagnets 18 are arranged in banks or in staggered relation, (illustrated in Fig. 2,) this arrangement rendering it pos- ICOV sible to use electromagnets of sufficient size without rendering it necessary to space the naine-holders for a distance equal to the diameter of the magnets.

Vhen the magnets are energized and the catches 16 are released, the name -holders moveto a horizontal position and project the type-faces for a short distance above the level of the table. After all the members have voted the name-holders are locked in position by a pair of parallel bars 19, pivotally mounted on links 2O and connected to an endWise-movable bar 21, having laterally-extended slotted arms adapted to engage pins on the bars 19 and shift the latter to the position `under the outer ends of the name-holders and rmly lock said name-holders in position to resist the pressure of the platen or impression-surface during the printing operation. In order to permit free movement of the locking-bars Without interference from the naine-holders which have not been released, each nameholder is provided with a slot 22, formed at one end and in such position as to permit free outward movement of the locking bars. When the locking-bars enter the notches of the name-holders, the latter are positively locked in place, and accidental movement during the printing operation is prevented.

The mechanically-operated members of the apparatus receive motion from. a shaft 24, adapted to suitable bearings in brackets 25, projecting from the end of the supportingframe, said shaft being provided at each end with crank-disks 26, to one of Which is secured an operating-handle 27. This shaft is turned once to effect the recording` operati-on and to y move all of the parts to initial position in readiness for the recording of a subsequent vote.

To the central portion of the shaft is secured a cam 28, against Which bears an antifriotion-roller 29, carried by the arm or bar 21 and held against the cam by one or more tension-bars 30, Which also serve to move the locking-bars 19 to releasing position after a vote has been recorded.

Near the opposite ends of the shaft are cams 31, each bearing on an antifriction-roller 32, carried by a guided bar 33 and normally held in Working contact With the cam by a tension-spring 34, extendingbetvveen the bar and a fixed point. Each bar 33 is provided at one end with a slot 35, engaging a pin 36, carried by a restoring-bar 37, the latter being mounted on links 3S and arranged adjacent to the Weighted arms or rods of the nameholders. In the operation of this portion of the mechanism the cams force the bars 33 invWard and effect a corresponding movement of the restoring-bars 37, said bars engaging against the inclined arms 15 and exerting a camming action thereon to an extent sufi'icient to force the catch-bar 16 into engagement with the mating catch 17, and thus lock all of the name-holders in initial position in readiness to be released by the energizing of the electromagnets. Each name-holder is further provided With a pin 40, normally in inoperative position, but movable as the name-holderis moved into a position in alinement with a counting-Wheel, which automatically registers the total num ber of votes cast, one of said counting-wheels being disposed at one side of the table to register the number of positive votes and similar counting- Wheel being disposed at the opposite side of the table to register the number of negative votes, and the registered numbers /being recorded at the bottom of the tivo columns of names of members voting.

The mechanism as thus far described constitutes a registering apparatus which may be employed for calling the roll or for registering a vote; but it is desirable to print a record of each vote so cast, and to this end We employ a suitable platen and inking mechanism for printing the names of the voting members in proper columns and for automatically registering and printing the number of positive and the number of negative votes cast.

Guided on the upper portion of the bed or table is a carriage 42, from the opposite sides of which project pins 43, adapted to guidingslots in rocker-arms 44, Which are pivoted at their lower ends to a cross-bar 45, carried by brackets 46, depending from the stationary portion of the frame. The arms 44 are connected by links 47 to suitable crank-pins on the crank disks 26 to effect a reciprocating movement of the carriage.

The carriage is provided with suitable bearings for the support of a transverse shaft 48, on Which is mounted a roller-platen 49, having a covering of felt or other suitable material. The side frames of the carriage are provided with curved slots 50 for the reception of a supporting-spindle 51 of an inkingroller 52, said roller being provided at opposite ends with guiding-rollers 5.a, adapted to tracks 54, which govern the vertical position of. the ink-roller. Inkis supplied to the roller 52 by an inking-roller 55, Which may be operated in the usual mann-er, the track being so arranged as to permit Contact between the supply and the distributing rollers each time the carriage returns to the initial position shown in Fig. 2.

The carriage is further provided with bearings for the support of a pair of independent aXially-alining shafts 5S, on each of which are a number of recording-Wheels 59, each bearing numerals from naught to nine and provided With transfer mechanism of any ordinary character for imparting movement from the units to the tens disk and from the tensdisk to the hundreds-disk, the number of disks employed depending on the number of votes to be cast. At the outer end of each shaft 5S is a star-Wheel 60, Which as the carriage is moved engages the pins 40 of the nameholders Which have been moved to vote-recording position, and it Will be observed on reference to Fi g, 1 that the pins 40 of the name- IIO holders remaining in non-recording position are out of alinement with the star-wheel. As the carriage is moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 the star-wheel will be engaged by each of the pins 40 in operative position, the star-wheel being turned one-tenth of a revolution at each movement and the actual number of votes castin each column being indicated on the recording-disks when the carriage reaches the limit of its forward movement.

The paper on which the record is to be made is preferably in the form of a long strip mounted on a suitable roller GO, adapted to bearings in brackets 6l, and the end of the strip being guided over suitable rollers 62 on the carriage and under the platen 49. At the operating end of the apparatus the paper is fed between a pair of rollers 63 and 64, the former being mounted on a shaft G5, on which is a gear-wheel 66, intermeshing with a gearsegment 67 on the main operating-shaft 24 and serving to wind up the printed slip on which the votes are recorded, the paper bearing the printed record being detached from the main strip by a suitable cutter-bar GS.

The parts are norm ally locked in position by a pivoted catch 70, adapted to engage a locking-notch 7l in one of the cranked disks, and at the beginning of the printing operation the catch is first disengaged and motion imparted to the crank-disks, preferably by means of an operating-handle 27. As the shaft 24 is rotated motion will first be imparted through the cam 28 to move both of the locking-bars 19 to position under those name-holders which have been released from the catches 17, and

thus support the name-holders in position for printing. Continued movement forces the carriage in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the hiking-roller 52 traveling against the type-faces carried by the name-holders and properly inking the same while the platen forces the strip of paper into contact with the type-faces to complete the printing operation. During this movement the star-wheels are being turned by engagement with the pins 40, and after the star-wheels have passed beyond the last of the pins the guiding-rollers 53 of the inking-roller come into contact with the inclined portion 54 at the outer ends of the guiding-tracks 54 and force the inking-roller upward into contact with the exposed type-faces on the recording-disks 59. It will be observed that the supporting-shafts 5S of the recordingdisks are held in horizontally-disposed guiding-slots in the side plates of the carriage and normally maintained at a distance from thc platen by suitable springs 70. When the recording-disks approach the limit of outward movement, the shafts 5S come into contact with stop-arms 7 2, projecting from the paperroll-supporting brackets 6l, this taking place subsequent to the upward movement of the inking-roller to supply ink to the recordingdisks. The movement of the recording-disks being stopped, the carriage continues to advance and the paper is forced by the platen against the inked type on the record ing-disks to print the number of votes in each column.

The end of the strip of paper is held between the rollers 63 and G4, and at the completion of the printing movement, when the carriage starts to return to its initial position, the gear-segment G7 engages the small gearwheel or pinion 6G and revolves the roller 63 to draw the printed portion of` the strip between the two rollers during the return movement of the carriage to its initial position, the sheet on which thevote is recorded being detached by means of the cutting-knife at the rear of the rollers.

At the desk of each member is a small closed compartment having a suitable lock, which may be opened only by the member assigned to the desk, and in each compartment are tWo buttons SO and 8l', (represented in diagram in Fig. 1,) one button being con-l nected by current-conducting wires to the electromagnet which governs the position of the name-holder on the positive side and the other button being similarly connected to an electromagnet on the negative side, so that cach member may eifect the movement of the type-holder bearing his name to record either a positive or a negative vote, and as each circuit is independent of the others all of the members may vote simultaneously and a printed record of the vote of a legislative body of any size may be made in a short period of time.l

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a vote-recording apparatus, two sets of printing-type arranged to form the names of the members voting and disposed respectively'in aye and nay columns, an electromagnetically-operated catch normally holding the types in inoperative positions, means `for locking the type in printing position, a

movable carriage, and an inking-roller and a platen carried by said carriage.

2. In a vote-recording apparatus, nameholders carrying printing-type and arranged in aye and nay columns, counterweights for moving said name-holders to printing position, electromagneticallyoperated catches normally holding said name-holders in inoperative positions, and a platen or impressionsurface movable over the type to record the name-holders moved to printing positions.

3. In a vote-recordin g apparatus, nameholders carrying printing-type and arranged in aye and nay columns, countervveights for moving said name-holders to printing positions, electromagnetically-operated catches normally holding the name-holders in inoperative position, means for locking released name-holders in printed position, means for restoring the name-holders to inoperative positions, and a platen or impression-surface movable over the type to record the nameholders in printing position.

In. a vote-recordin g apparatus, printing- IIO type arranged to form the names of the members and disposed in aye and nay columns, electromechanically-actuated mechanism for moving selected type to printing position, means for recording the types moved to printing position, and means for automatically counting and printingthe number of votes in each column after the types have been moved to printing position.

5. In avete-recording apparatus, printingtype arranged to form the names of the members and disposed in aye and nay columns, means for moving the type to printing position, an automatic mechanism for counting the number of votes in each column, and a printing mechanism for recording the types moved to printing position and the number of votes in each column after the types have been moved to printing position.

6, In a device of the class specied, nameholders carrying printing-type and normally held in inoperative position, meansfor moving the name-holders to printing position, pins or lugs on said name-holders and movable therewith, a movable carriage, an inkingroller and a platen carried thereby, a counting-wheel supported by the carriage and adapted to engage the pins or lugs of nameholders moved to printing position, recording-disks operatively connected to the counting-wheel and adapted for contact with the inking-roller and with a record-sheet to form a printed record of the number of nameholders moved to printing position.

7. In a vote-recording apparatus, nameholders carrying printing-type and normally held in inoperative position, means for moving the name-holders to printing position, pins or lugs on said name-holders and movable therewith, a movable carriage, an inkingroller and a platen carried by the side members of the carriage, registering-disks bearing numerals and operable by the pins or lugs as the carriage is traveled, cams for moving the inking-roller into engagement with said registering-disks, and means for stopping the forward movement of the registeringdisk to permit the recording-disk to come into contact with the paper or record-slip on the platen.

. 8. In a vote-recording apparatus, nameholders carrying printing-type and arranged in aye and nay columns, pins or lugs carried by the name-holders and movable therewith, means for moving said name-holders to printing position, a movable carriage, a platen mounted on said carriage, an inking-roller adapted to a slotted guideway at each side of the carriage and provided with roller-tracks for governing the vertical position in said slotted guideway, two sets of recording-disks bearing numerals for recording the number of votes in each column, star- Wheels connected to said recording-disks and adapted to engage the pins or lugs of name-holders adjusted to printing position, and means for stopping the movement of the recording-disks in advance of the movement of the platen.

In a vote -recording apparatus, name holders carrying printing-type and arranged in aye and nay columns, pins or lugs carried by the name-holders and movable therewith, means for moving said name-holders to printing position, a movable carriage, a platen mounted on said carriage, an inking-roller adapted to guiding-slots at each side of the carriage, tracks for governing the vertical position of the roller, a pair of alining shafts adapted to horizontally-disposed slots in the carriage, recordingdisks on each of said shafts, star-wheels secured to each shaft and adapted to engage the pins or lugs, terminal cams for the roller-tracks, said cams being adapted to move the inking-roller into contact with the recording-disks, and fixed stops for engaging the recordingdisk shafts and holding the same during 'further movement of the carriage and platen.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto afIiXed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CI'IAS. EDWIN TURNER, WILLIAM T. ANDERSON. Witnesses:

D. CLOUD, Jr., EDWIN Soo'rr. 

